Research on Nonroutine Problems: A Hybrid Didactical Design for Overcoming Student Learning Obstacles

Abstract

The multiplication of fractions was generally considered easy, but it became challenging when presented as a nonroutine problem. One solution to these challenges was integrating technology into learning. Therefore, the study is aimed at proposing a hybrid module as a solution. The design in this research was a didactical design research. The study involved 56 participants, aged 13–18 years, mainly female students from the Sasak tribe in an Indonesian junior high school. Researchers employed fraction comprehension tests, in-depth interviews, and a hybrid hypothesis module as primary instruments. For learning outcomes, NVivo-12-assisted thematic analysis was used, and for learning obstacles, retrospective-based qualitative analysis was used. The study findings revealed several factors that caused learning obstacles, including conceptual ontogenic, epistemological factors, and students’ restricted Internet access. The hybrid hypothesis module proved effective in assisting students by providing additional problem contexts and scaffolding, addressing previous learning obstacles. After implementation, there was a redesign of the hybrid module in the form of additional scaffolding to help students construct the concepts studied. This research concluded that the application of technology in the form of hybrid modules was able to minimize barriers to student learning.